"The" Metal Band

[73109]

I just thought of something interesting and I thought I would get your opinions. I was thinking to myself, "Which band just encompasses all that is metal?" Now, you have the answers that everyone would give like Maiden, Metallica, Priest, and Sabbath but I am trying to avoid those because I think that while they are most certainly metal, they don't seem to portray what metal has become and what it should be in the future. To me metal is just in your face music and after some thought, I have come up with a list that, to me, just makes up metal. (Note, this is not a "your favorite metal band" thread, because as you can see, despite my epic Metallica fanboism, I left them out) So...what about you guys?

Machine Head
Sepultura
Pantera

Of all of those, if I was to have a Martian listen to a song that just defined all that I thought was metal, I would probably play Davidian by Machine Head, Refuse/Resist by Sepultura(or Roots Bloody Roots, I really can't choose), or Cowboys from Hell by Pantera.

I mean...look at these!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMvWQwOdYe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t7qazLruC8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYFaE_ZyuQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYFaE_ZyuQg

edit: OK!OK!OK!OK! I just have to add Metallica because I am a fucking fanboy and I caved!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEL6_SuQCu8 (I think this might be the only illegal one, if it is, please take it down)

[Seventh Son]

I'd rather not metal be represented by a bunch of hick rednecks personally.

That being said, there really isn't one band that I think can represent metal. History shows that metal likes to change things up and change its core sound. You have all kinds of subgenres that are cranking out music all the time from trad to death metal to prog and folk, etc..

Also, I'm concerned with you saying "metal should be". Metal should be whatever the fuck someone thinks it should be. I don't think metal should have any boundaries in which you can't cross, because that's just stupid. That's what is wrong with a lot of mainstream metal anyway

[wolfking]

Pantera were the stepping stone between old metal and new metal, but saying that, I think Metallica are the definition with old or new metal.  I wouldn't call them my favourite, but I think they class as the overall definition of metal, for the majority anyway.

[Gorille85]

Gojira is my pick.

[73109]

Gojira is my pick.

Fuckin A! I just need to listen to more of them. What I have heard from From Mars to Sirius is fucking

[glaurung]

Gojira is my pick.

How do you figure them? I don't really think they would be a good choice for representing all of metal.

[Seventh Son]

Gojira is my pick.

How do you figure them? I don't really think they would be a good choice for representing all of metal.

Yeah. They might represent a small portion of mainstream metal, but do you think they represent all of trad, doom, death, black, prog, folk, thrash, etc.?

[wolfking]

Gojira is my pick.

i've never listened to them, so how can they represent all metal. 

[Seventh Son]

I'll clarify my point: I think metal is far too broad of a genre of music to be represented by one single band. Metal is the sum of its parts, and not simply one large band.

[Gorille85]

Gojira is my pick.

How do you figure them? I don't really think they would be a good choice for representing all of metal.

Yeah. They might represent a small portion of mainstream metal, but do you think they represent all of trad, doom, death, black, prog, folk, thrash, etc.?

For ALL of metal, Unexpect would be my pick, because they touch to nearly every style of music while staying metal.

But I stick to Gojira because to me, they are the walking (or running while setting villages on fire) definition of a metal band. And they represent everything there is to love about this genre, IMO.

[73109]

Yes, but the question isn't what band represents all of metal's subgenres. It is the question of, to you, what makes you go "Woah! THAT is what metal is all about!"

edit: kinda what gorille said about Gojira

[skydivingninja]

IMO, Mastodon is the benchmark for in-your-face, creative metal right now, so I'd choose them.

Normally though, I have to give Metallica the award for the most important/the best example of metal ever.  If a martian came to Earth asking about metal, I'd show them "Master of Puppets."  Dethklok would also be a good choice.

[glaurung]

Yes, but the question isn't what band represents all of metal's subgenres. It is the question of, to you, what makes you go "Woah! THAT is what metal is all about!"

edit: kinda what gorille said about Gojira

In that case my choice would be Iron Maiden.

[Seventh Son]

Gojira is my pick.

How do you figure them? I don't really think they would be a good choice for representing all of metal.

Yeah. They might represent a small portion of mainstream metal, but do you think they represent all of trad, doom, death, black, prog, folk, thrash, etc.?

For ALL of metal, Unexpect would be my pick, because they touch to nearly every style of music while staying metal.

But I stick to Gojira because to me, they are the walking (or running while setting villages on fire) definition of a metal band. And they represent everything there is to love about this genre, IMO.

I love most metal subgenres but Gojira has never interested me at all. I don't really see that.

Yes, but the question isn't what band represents all of metal's subgenres. It is the question of, to you, what makes you go "Woah! THAT is what metal is all about!"

edit: kinda what gorille said about Gojira

There isn't a single band that does it for me. Each band has something they do very well, and its the sum of all those bands that makes me love metal, and not just one band in particular. Its what makes me want to search out more awesome metal.

[73109]

IMO, Mastodon is the benchmark for in-your-face, creative metal right now, so I'd choose them.

Normally though, I have to give Metallica the award for the most important/the best example of metal ever.  If a martian came to Earth asking about metal, I'd show them "Master of Puppets."  Dethklok would also be a good choice.

I know I said I wouldn't include Metallica just because I thought I would get shot down for fanboism(guilty) but Master is one of metal's definitive songs. This is a lot harder than I thought after making this thread.

[True Death of Life]

Yes, but the question isn't what band represents all of metal's subgenres. It is the question of, to you, what makes you go "Woah! THAT is what metal is all about!"

edit: kinda what gorille said about Gojira

In that case my choice would be Iron Maiden.

[skydivingninja]

I certainly would have understood if you picked Metallica Cole.  But really only when you're asking a question like that.  They're more quintessential than anything.  If you asked about the best metal band, THEN we would've laughed at you.

[73109]

Also, all of the videos I posted were live videos because to me, half the fun of metal is the live portion of it and some songs (like the ones I posted, to me anyway) just give off that head crushing awesomeness that is metal and the amazing bond between a metal band and their fans. Just another thing I thought I would say.

edit:

I certainly would have understood if you picked Metallica Cole.  But really only when you're asking a question like that.  They're more quintessential than anything.  If you asked about the best metal band, THEN we would've laughed at you.

edited the OP. They are now in there. I HAD TO. Plus, like you said, they really do deserve it. At least one of them.

[Ben_Jamin]

Cynic

[skydivingninja]

Cynic

Thought about these guys, but they're getting less and less metal, and their studio albums total to a little more than an hour of material total

[sneakyblueberry]

Well after just watching Flight 666 again, I'm gonna have to go with Maiden for many reasons, the main one being the integrity and loyalty to metal fans worldwide.

[wolfking]

Umm.. I already mentioned Metallica at the start of the thread.

[Perpetual Change]

Iron Maiden.

I wouldn't call people who don't like Maiden fans of heavy metal. I don't respect them as people either.

 

[Jakartabassplayer]

Iron Maiden
Slayer

[Sigz]

To me metal (and every other genre/style for that matter), don't really have a 'spirit'. They're just types of music, nothing more.

[cthrubuoy]

I think this band sums up the genre as a whole.
They also portray that 'image' of metal that anyone who doesn't know the genre immediately thinks of.

They make awful music though.

[RuRoRul]

I understand why you don't say Metallica, but it's like saying "Pick the definitive metal band out of all the bands apart from the definitive metal band". Love them or hate them, think they're "real metal" or not, think "metal should be" something else, it really would be Metallica.

[cthrubuoy]

It's in the name. Hur Hur.

[jsem]

Venom would like to speak to you about what is metal.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

https://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=67953

Not serious btw.

[Ultimetalhead]

Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Metallica.

[cthrubuoy]

https://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=67953

Not serious btw.

[Seventh Son]

To me metal (and every other genre/style for that matter), don't really have a 'spirit'. They're just types of music, nothing more.

I'd disagree that certain style's of music do have a spirit of their own.

That being said, I don't see why there should be one band to represent a style of music. Its the collection of all the great bands that make the genre so great, not just one large band that does it for me.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Opeth

[cthrubuoy]

Opeth